Library

Many University and college libraries house both a Department of Special Collections and University Archives. Oral History Programs are usually housed within the library's Special Collection section. The University Archives are the repository for the papers of school presidents, faculty, and other material relating to the school. There are many libraries on university and college campuses that house material such as manuscripts, photos, clippings, and taped interviews. Visitors should contact the particular library before visiting since some of the material may be in storage and therefore not readily available. (by Jean Cirrito Melley, Librarian)

OAC is a searchable database containing "finding aids" and digital objects collections from many libraries, archive collections, and museums in California.

A finding aid, also referred to as a register or inventory, is a detailed guide describing the holdings of the institution submitting its information to the OAC. The database includes Universites such as UCLA, Berkeley, and Stanford; private libraries such as the Huntington Library; and other institutions including the California State Library and the San Diego Historical Society.

Watts Towers: UCLA Department of Special Collections houses the papers of the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts. The Committee formed in 1954 when the Department of Building and Safety of the city of Los Angeles declared the Towers unstable and issued an order to have the pieces demolished. The Committee sponsored and performed an engineering test in 1959 that proved that the Towers were safe.

The rich and varied collection of 25 boxes is fully processed and includes the papers of Bud Goldstone, the engineer who performed the test, as well as photographs, audiotapes, slides, and transcripts of interviews with Simon Rodia.

Orsini Family Papers & Franklin Murphy Collection of Incunabula: UCLA Special Collections houses the papers of the Italian Orsini family dating from the 14th century and containing information on marriage settlements, inheritances, attendance on the papal throne, and descriptions of Orsini property. It also contains a fine collection of early Italian printing (Franklin Murphy Collection).

The International Languages Department contains many books in Italian as well as Italian language films. The Italian language collection is especially strong in the areas of history, biography, and literature.